On the 4th and 5th of October, Future DiverCities, a four-year project funded by the European Commission (Creative Europe), was launched in Florence. Hosted by our Italian partner Lama, the 13 European organisations involved met in Manifattura Tabacchi, an old tobacco factory and one of the most important examples at an international level of urban regeneration and change making.
Seeking to re-imagine culture-led regeneration of urban empty spaces in an ecological way, the project develops cultural approaches to enhance and preserve the ecological value of unused vacant spaces in European cities.
The 9 project’s pilots will explore the positive facets of the void in city space and invent new ways to create, to conceive cross-sectoral cultural activities, and to design participative interventions in spaces that can enhance and build its ecological value, going beyond merely raising awareness.
ECHN will be engaged in the project, among others, through meetings, networking, visits, peer to peer and twinning programs engaging its members with Future DiverCities’ partners and encouraging sister initiatives.
Next steps
Starting from December 2022 keep updated and follow the development of the project on the website: https://future-divercities.eu/
During the first year of this project, 2023, La Friche is going to develop a mapping tool and protocol for the partners involved. The sensitive mapping of each pilot site will facilitate the meetings with the relevant stakeholders and the discussions with the users and the inhabitants about the creative potential and possibilities of the space.
